Series 4 > Scottish industrial history

THE NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY INQUIRY I79
must be greatly inconvenienced at not receiving their usual Divi¬
dends, and disappointed at the results brought out in this Report.
Bearing in mind, however, that the present exceptional and un¬
toward state of matters is attributable to gross mismanagement,
which it is hoped may never again occur, and not to any normal
condition of the Railway property, the Committee feel assured
that, - relieved from the promotion and construction of new Lines
and Works under which the Company has laboured for the last
few years; exercising strict economy in the expenses of mainten¬
ance and management in all departments; a watchful care over the
cultivation of traffic at remunerative rates; and with unanimity of
action on the part of the Shareholders and Executive, - the large
and valuable property of the Company will be so fostered, and its
inherent powers developed, as to prove that, although some of the
Shareholders may for a time be deprived of the return which they
calculated upon from their investment, they are possessed of a
property of great and increasing value, which will ultimately sur¬
mount the difficulties with which it is at present unfortunately
surrounded.
The Committee cannot conclude without expressing the obliga¬
tions they are under to Messrs. Mackenzie and Guild, the Ac¬
countants employed in the Investigation, without whose valuable
assistance, given at much personal inconvenience, they could not,
within so limited a period, have presented to the Shareholders so
complete an exposition of the Company’s affairs.
JAMES WHITE, Chairman.
G. GRAHAM MONTGOMERY.
PETER CLOUSTON.
GEORGE HARRISON.
JOHN IRVING.
ALEX. C. MATTHEW.
GEO. ROBERTSON.
ROBERT YOUNG.
EDINBURGH, 30th October 1866.